


Threading the Needle

by oh_my_stars



Series: Tapestry [1]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode: s08e18 Threads, F/M, Friendship, Pre-Relationship, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-22
Updated: 2021-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-28 11:48:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30139131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oh_my_stars/pseuds/oh_my_stars
Summary: After the events of Threads (or possibly Moebius, I lose track), the team head up to Jack's cabin.  They share a fun filled week and Jack and Sam come to some sort of understanding.
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Series: Tapestry [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2218239
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so all Stargate writers do a Threads fic, and this one is mine. I recently re-watched the series and felt inspired, so this is my first fic in...sixteen years. I'm nervous as all get out about posting this, but it's not going to do anything just sitting on my hard drive. 
> 
> Please do let me know if there are errors - which are all mine btw - and I apologise if there's formatting issues, it's my first time on AO3. As ever, not mine, all characters you recognise belong to the people who own them

A couple of days had passed after Jacob Carter’s funeral and General Jack O’Neill was planning to check up on his former second-in-command. It was early evening, but he pulled up a few blocks away from Sam Carter’s front door – years of self-imposed professional distance had ingrained careful habits – and walked the rest of the way. He knocked at the door and waited a few minutes; heard the cover of the spyhole click, then the latch. 

Sam opened the door, looking surprised to see him. “Sir, what brings you here?”

“Just checking in, Carter, see how you’re doing. Unless you’re busy?” Sam shook her head but made no move to step out of the doorway, “You mind if I, uh–?” Jack gestured awkwardly towards the inside of the house. 

“Oh, of course, sir, come in please”. Sam seemed momentarily flustered but stepped back, then shut the door behind him and offered the General a drink. 

“Sure, just whatever you’re having. Don’t go to any trouble.”

Sam returned with two glasses of red wine. “I’m sorry, I ran out of beer, but so many people brought wine to the pot-luck” –she couldn’t quite manage to think the word ‘wake’– “that I’ll be set for years. Even after I sent Mark home with half the bottles.”

Jack took the glass and took a measured sip. “This is fine, thanks. So…how are you doin’?”

“I’ve really been…ok, sir. Everything has been much smoother than it could have been. The Tok’ra have sent me a few of Dad’s things, photos, a few creature comforts he took with him when he was first joined with Selmak. They even sent some of his ashes back, so they can be buried with my mom.”

“Good of them”, Jack acknowledged with a head tilt. His personal feelings on the Tok’ra aside, it was a kind gesture to return some of Jacob’s things, not to mention his ashes. Jack knew it meant a lot to Carter to have her parents buried together. 

They lapsed in to companionable silence for a few moments, sipping at their wine. 

Sam broke it first. “Thank you for coming over, sir, I appreciate it. It’s been weird to be away from the base at the moment – I kept expecting to be called in for another attack. I’ll probably be back next week though.”

“No rush Carter, you’ve got a lot to get sorted, with your dad’s stuff and the, uh, well, the wedding and so forth.” Jack waved his hand around to indicate the enormity of the task he imagined. He was a little proud of himself that he was able to mention the wedding, Sam’s wedding, without a sarcastic comment or much of a waver in his tone. 

Sam had closed her eyes with a look best described as ‘dammit’. “Uh, actually sir, the wedding…well it won’t be going ahead.” There, it was out in the open. 

“Oh. Well, um, I’m…sorry?” at the last moment Jack’s inflection made it a question. 

But Carter was brisk in her reply, “It’s for the best, sir. For both of us. A clean break.” She began to brush at her jeans, making the universal motions for ‘it’s time for you to leave’. “It was nice of you to drop by, sir. Maybe next week we could all get together, see if being Ascended has done anything for Daniel’s alcohol tolerance.” Sam squared her shoulders, then continued, “You…you could invite Agent Johnson.”

 _Agent_ _Johnson_. Carter’s tone told Jack _exactly_ what she felt about Kerry – the studied casualness with which she made the offer showed that Sam was determined to be _polite_ and _supportive_. 

‘ _I_ _was_ polite _and_ supportive _about the cop, and she almost married him_. _’_ he thought grimly, ‘ _Best to get this over with.’_ “Uh, actually…” Jack began mildly, mirroring Carter’s earlier statement.

“Oh God, I’m sorry, sir, I forgot you weren’t making it public. And if Daniel comes, you know it won’t stay quiet for long, you know what he’s like,” Carter got up and began collecting debris from the coffee table, a slight blush visible on her cheeks. 

Jack held up a hand to forestall her, “Actually, uh, Ms. Johnson and I have decided not to keep seeing each other.’ Jack’s conscience smote him, ‘Well, she decided not to keep seeing me, but that’s neither here nor there. So there’s no need to invite anyone else, it’ll just be the four of us, like old times.”

“She dumped you?” Sam said incredulously. 

Jack scowled slightly at the juvenile term, but he tried for humor. “I guess she realized that she could do a little better than an aging General with bum knees and a crap ton of baggage,” he said with a twisted smirk. 

Sam snorted. There was no other word for it. Jack gave her a look he had employed many times since taking over command of the SGC. Deceptively mild, eyebrows quizzical, it invited the recipient to either share their thought with the rest of the class, or give them an opportunity to rethink it entirely. He wondered which option Sam would take.

“That’s– I mean…um, sorry sir”, was what eventually came out. 

“That’s what, Carter?”

“Nothing, never mind. It doesn’t matter, sir.”

For a moment, Jack’s irritation got away from him. “For cryin’ out loud, would you stop sir-ing me every other sentence!”

Sam turned back to the living room, the flush on her face turning angry looking. “That’s ridiculous. There is more to you than bum knees and baggage, and if she doesn’t see that–”

Jack realized that Carter was getting indignant at Kerry _on_ _his_ _behalf_ , which vaguely amused him. 

“She saw plenty, Carter,” Jack said, his voice softening. He rose to his own feet and stepped towards her, “and she was right about some of the things she said.” ‘ _Now is not the time to go in to what she got right_ ,’ he reminded himself silently. 

Sam sighed, set down her glass and handful of napkins on the nearest horizontal surface and rubbed a hand over her face. “I can’t talk about this right now.”

Jack held up his hands, “I didn’t come here to fight with you, Sam. We don’t have to talk right now.’ He paused, ‘but we do have to talk. We can’t leave it like this.”

“It?”

“It. Us. The room. Whatever you were coming to talk to me about that day.”

Sam must have been stunned because what came out of her mouth was, “Your timing sucks. Sir.”

“I know. Which is why we don’t have to do this now.” He hiked a thumb over his shoulder towards the door, “Look, I’m heading out, let me know if there is anything I can do to help with Jacob’s…well, with anything. You still have a couple weeks leave booked, you should take it, get outta here, clear your head, whatever you need. I’ll see you on base when you feel up to it.”

“I’ll be back on Monday.” Jack must have looked pained at her insistence on returning so quickly because Sam quickly followed with “I agree that I should take some time, just not next week. There’s still so much I have to do, to finish. But after that, I’ll have some time. To, you know, process everything.”

“The guys and I were thinking of taking a trip to the cabin, get a little downtime ourselves after everything that’s happened. You know, there’s nothing like, uh, fishing, to help you process. Even better if there’s no pesky fish to disturb you.” Jack tried for diffidence, but he doesn’t think he quite managed it. 

“Is that an invitation?”

Jack felt his heart beat a little faster as he answered. “Nothing wrong with that is there?”

_Déjà vu._

“Sounds great.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Invitation accepted at last...the team gather at the cabin

“Sam! Hey, Sam!” 

Sam Carter looked up to see Daniel Jackson waving at her from the doors out to the parking lot. She smiled and put away her notebook as he came up beside her. 

“Sorry I’m late, this place is a warren. I think I parked in Wisconsin.”

Sam smiled as she stood up, gathering her bags to head out. “Not a problem. Do you want to get a coffee for the drive back? There’s at least one Starbucks here.”

“Sure, I could go for a latte. There’s a coffee machine at the cabin, of course, but it just produced some black sludge this morning. Jack swears it just takes a day or so to ‘warm up’.” 

“ _You_ went without coffee this morning? Are you sure you’re ok to drive?” Sam teased. 

“Oh, I drank the sludge. I just didn’t _like_ it.”

Coffees in hand, they walked out to the parking lot, Sam’s eyes scanning for General O’Neill’s truck. It was quite a walk from the terminal, and they chatted amiably about Sam’s flight and Daniel’s drive up to Minnesota with Jack and Teal’c. 

“It was fine, even Jack said we made good time. We stopped a couple of times to eat and Jack let Teal’c drive the truck basically across Nebraska. We arrived about 10 last night and pretty much went straight to bed.” They arrived at the truck; Sam threw her small suitcase in the backseat and climbed in to the front. Daniel got in the driver’s side and removed the entry ticket from the visor. They were on the road in short order, and Daniel advised Sam that it was about an hour and a half drive. 

Sam made a bet with herself that Daniel couldn’t make it 15 minutes before asking how she was doing. He’d been trying to ask for a couple of weeks, and Sam had become very good at avoiding his questions, but she was now a captive audience. She supposed it would be better to let him get it out of the way, otherwise he would just bug her at the cabin.

Daniel got thoroughly lost in the parking structure, but as soon as they were on the freeway he looked over at Sam, coughed self-consciously and said, “So…how’s things?”

“The briefing went well, I think the Pentagon will continue to support the current program size, at least until we’re sure that the threat from the System Lords really is over. General Hammond was sorry to miss General O’Neill and Teal’c, and he wanted me to tell you he never doubted that you’d be back.” Sam knew that wasn’t what he was asking, but dammit, if she was going to get grilled about her personal life, she didn’t have to make it easy. 

“I’m glad you all had so much faith in me returning. But I meant with you. And, and your dad, Sam…I’m so sorry I missed his memorial. They wouldn’t let me out of the mountain.”

“I know. It’s ok. I know you would have been there if you could. It just felt…kinda surreal. I guess, after all the near misses in the last few years, I’d started to feel like Dad was invincible. And to have him go downhill so quickly…it was a shock.” Sam felt the now-familiar lump in her throat as she thought about her father. She swallowed hard. 

“If you want to talk, you know we’re all here for you, right?” Keeping most of his attention on the road, Daniel glanced quickly towards her. Sam composed herself then gave a half-smile. 

“Don’t worry Daniel, I’m not going to fall apart on you. I’m doing fine, good actually. I had Dad for a lot longer than I thought I would, and I just have to remind myself of that sometimes.”

“Hey, no one would blame you for falling apart Sam. What’re friends for?” Daniel paused for a moment, but the silence was loaded and Sam knew he was trying to find a polite way to ask about her aborted engagement. She sighed, deciding she might as well get it over with. 

“Go on then. I know you want to ask about Pete.”

Daniel looked abashed, then gave a slight smile. “Cut to the chase, huh? 

“It was the right thing. Losing Dad made me reevaluate some stuff. About what I wanted.” Sam looked out of the window at the passing scenery – such as it was on a freeway – but she could feel Daniel about to ask a question. “Daniel…I don’t want to keep talking about it. Just trust me that I made the right decision. Please. I’m fine and I just want to enjoy this week with my friends.” 

Sensing that she was done sharing for now, Daniel was quiet, but reached a hand over to squeeze one of hers. They drove for a while in companionable silence. 

Daniel broke the quiet about 20 minutes later, saying,

“In about 10, 15 minutes we’re going to hit the nearest town…you need to pick anything up?”

“I’m all set, I think. Do we need to bring anything back?”

“Nope, we have enough burgers and beers to hold us for a while. Jack was up at the crack of dawn, I thought for sure he was going out to catch fish for breakfast, but he told me they ‘didn’t bite’ at this time of year. You know…I don’t think there’s any fish in that pond. Anyway, he told me he was going to spend the morning deep cleaning the kitchen. And maybe the bathrooms.”

Sam wrinkled her nose slightly, “I know the General doesn’t get up here as often as he’d like, but I can’t believe it’s that bad.”

Daniel huffed a laugh. “No, it was a little dusty I guess, but Jack doesn’t rent his cabin out, so that’s not unusual. Maybe he wants to make a good impression for your first time here…he wasn’t that fussy when Teal’c and I came to visit,” he finished, laughingly. 

Sam smiled dutifully at the idea that Jack might be worried about making a good impression on her. But, as she thought back to the invitations she had received over the years, she inwardly wondered if that actually was the case. 

They passed through the town Daniel had indicated and drove on, the road now hemmed in on both sides with tall evergreens. Finally, he turned off the main road in to a long driveway and pulled up next to the wooden cabin. Sam got out of the truck, then just stood for a moment, looking across the pond to the stand of trees climbing up the side of a hill. She took a deep breath of the crisp, clear air. ‘ _It was incredibly quiet’_ , she thought. Daniel came to stand by her side. 

“Quiet, isn’t it? You don’t even think about how loud it is in a city until you come somewhere like this.” Sam was vaguely aware that he had stepped away, back towards the vehicle, but didn’t take her eyes off the view to see where he had got to. She raised her voice slightly to answer him. 

“It’s great. I had no idea it was so beautiful here.”

“Land of sky-blue waters…I told ya.” Sam turned sharply to see General O’Neill leaning casually against the open door, a dishtowel over his shoulder and a pair of tongs in one hand. 

She ducked her head, blushingly recalling his first invitation. “Thank you for inviting me.” The ‘again’ went unspoken. Considering they _were_ on vacation, and bearing in mind the General’s previous complaints about her ‘sir-ing’ him, Sam took a chance and simply left off the honorific.

“Hey, I’m just glad the Pentagon pencil pushers let you leave. Come on in, take a load off.” He stepped back, gesturing for her to step inside. Sam felt suddenly nervous; she was finally at his cabin, and it felt like a watershed moment. 

Sam offered a small smile as she entered and set her bag down. She looked around at the living room and in to the kitchen, taking in the rustic furniture and cozy-looking living room, complete with fireplace. 

Jack shifted uncomfortably next to her. “It’s not much, but…”

“It’s great.” Sam said sincerely. 

“Oh. Oh, well good, glad you like it.” Jack waved the tongs and continued, “Let me hand these off to T and I’ll give you the ten-cent tour.” He disappeared through the kitchen to the deck, where Teal’c was presumably minding the coals. He returned quickly, having discarded the towel as well. “I hope you’re hungry, we’ve got enough burgers on the grill to feed a company of Jaffa. Eh, maybe a platoon, if they all eat like Teal’c. Come on back.”

They walked down the corridor to the room at the end of the hall, Sam carrying her small suitcase.

“This is you, it’s a little on the small side but at least you don’t have to share.” Sam went in and set her case down inside, seeing the small bed and dresser that comprised the only furniture, and the window that gave a view of the woods. Jack remained outside, gesturing at each of the other doors in turn, “Daniel and Teal’c are in that one, bathroom’s here, linen cupboard has towels and extra blankets if you need ‘em. That’s about it. If you want to freshen up, we’ll be out on the deck.” He paused, rubbing a hand over the back of his head. “I’m really glad you made it, Carter.” He was gone before she could open her mouth to reply. 

Sam opened her suitcase, then went to the bathroom to wash her hands and smooth her hair. She recalled Daniel’s comments about Jack tidying and cleaning, and indeed, the bathroom looked spotless; all the fixtures gleaming a bright white. ~~~~

She emerged from the bathroom and made her way through the kitchen and out to the deck, where she raised a hand in greeting to Teal’c, who was sitting at the table with Daniel. He nodded back impassively.

“Greetings Colonel Carter.”

Jack stood over the barbeque, flipping over burgers that sizzled enticingly. At Teal’c words, he turned to look over at Sam and asked,

“You find everything ok Carter?”

She nodded slightly in acknowledgment. “Thanks. That must be the cleanest bathroom I’ve seen since boot camp.” The teasing words were out of her mouth before she could think. Daniel dropped his head, but his grin was obvious even so. Jack had a shocked look on his face for a second, then he burst out with a laugh – it seemed like the first real one she had heard from him in a really long time – and turned to Daniel, pointing the tongs at him in a mock-threatening way.

“Traitor.”

As they all laughed together, Sam felt herself unwind a little. 

* * *

Over the next few days, the four team members fished and relaxed in each other’s company. It felt like old times; Jack ribbed Daniel mercilessly, Teal’c extended their trip to the local grocery store by an hour because he wanted to examine all the offerings, and Sam smiled tolerantly at the guys’ antics. She could feel her mind relaxing; she felt more like herself than she had in months. She made a mess in the kitchen when it was her turn to make breakfast for everyone, verbally sparred with Daniel as they drank a beer after dinner and sat with Teal’c, reading a detective novel she had found on Jack’s bookshelf as he meditated. 

Interacting with Jack though, had her discombobulated. Free from the burdens of command, he seemed years younger at the cabin. He had returned to the easy, almost flirtatious banter that had characterized their relationship before the Entity, before Prometheus, and she had responded in kind. But although he had been the one to tell her they had to talk…he wasn’t making any effort to do so. Sam was beginning to fear that they would just slip back in to old habits and never address this thing between them. It started to weigh more heavily as the week went on.

By the middle of the week, the team had settled in to an evening routine of sorts; they grilled or someone drove in to town to pick up takeout – Jack told them that no restaurant would attempt a delivery to his cabin – and they would sit out on the deck to eat, have a few beers and shoot the breeze together. On the first couple of nights, they watched a movie with popcorn; on the third, Daniel found a chess set and challenged Jack, while Sam and Teal’c kibbitzed. 

On the fourth night, Jack disappeared in to the kitchen after dinner and reappeared bearing a tray with a bottle of whisky and some old-fashioned glasses. He handed a full glass to Teal’c, who regarded it with a raised eyebrow. 

“Try it, it’s not alcohol.” Teal’c’s face remained stoic but he seemed to radiate skepticism. “Just _try_ it. I’m told it’s considered a warrior’s drink.” Teal’c reached for the heavy glass and sipped it carefully. His face hardly changed, but they could tell he enjoyed it. 

“It is most intriguing, O’Neill.”

“Prune juice. Don’t drink it all at once. For everyone else, a glass of Ireland’s finest.” Jack produced a bottle of Jameson’s Irish whisky and poured three generous servings, then handed a glass each to Carter and Daniel. 

“What’s the occasion, Jack?” Daniel asked, surveying the amber liquid with some trepidation. 

“Our anniversary. SG-1, our first mission, eight years ago.” 

“That’s a nice thought, Jack, but aren’t you a couple months out?”

“I was going to toast on the actual date, Danny-boy, but you were otherwise occupied.” Jack lifted his eyes towards the ceiling. “So we’re doing it now. To us, and all the crazy shit we’ve lived – and sometimes died – through.” He raised his glass, and the other three followed suit and sipped their drinks, thinking of the times they had been through and those who hadn’t made it with them. 

Following a time-honored ritual on their ‘anniversary’, Daniel sat back on the sofa, glass in hand and said nonchalantly, “Remember P3X-595?”

Sam put her head in her hands and groaned. “I am never going to live that down. But what about the festival on P4D-325, Daniel? With the feathers?” She accompanied her words with a wiggle of her fingers, indicating where the feathers had been placed.

“Hey, now that was for legitimate anthropological reasons...”

The conversation continued along well-worn lines, sharing their favorite moments and stories. Sam felt warm and comfortable in the midst of her team. Some of the warmth was undoubtedly from the whisky, but mostly it was being together with her guys. As usual, Jack stuck to stories about his teammates instead of himself; he recalled his pride when Daniel had knocked out a Jaffa with a one-two punch, his laughter when Teal’c had stalked silently behind a local leader and literally scared the spear right out of his hands, his amusement when any man underestimated Carter’s abilities with gun, knife, fists, or brains. 

Towards the end of the evening, Daniel suddenly jerked to wakefulness, focusing on Sam as she sat on the chair opposite him. His voice was definitely slurred as he asked,

“Y’r’member when I told that Goa’uld I was the great and po’rful Oz?”

Sam felt like she’d had the breath knocked out of her – she did remember, that mission had been with her father. She looked away quickly to compose herself, and when she looked back, Jack was watching her with dark and sympathetic eyes. She nodded at him, silently communicating that she was ok. Shocked, but ok. Daniel had already slumped back on the sofa, eyes half closed. 

Jack set his glass down, “Alright, _Oz_ , I’m cuttin’ you off. T, can you give me a hand?”

Teal’c stood and unceremoniously hauled Daniel to his feet, then over his shoulder at it became clear that the younger man was asleep. When Jack followed them down the hall, Sam got up and began to clear away glasses. She set them in the kitchen sink, then opened the door to the deck and stepped outside for a moment. As she stood on the deck, she wiped at a stray tear, then looked up at the stars. 

No more than five minutes later, the door creaked open. Without turning around, Sam gestured up at the vast expanse of sky. “Beautiful, aren’t they? The stars. I hardly look anymore, but they really are.” 

Jack joined her at the railing. “No telescope up here, I’m afraid. Next time. Daniel…he’ll feel bad about upsetting you…or he will if he remembers anything past the first glass when he wakes up. You ok?”

They were silent for a moment, studying the sky together, marveling at how many more stars could be seen here in the rural darkness. Before she could think too much, Sam found herself speaking. “I wish I’d come up here before.”

Jack tilted his head slightly. “I thought we weren’t dwelling.”

“I’m not. It’s just…things are different here. You’ve changed, and I don’t know if this is how you always are at the cabin, or if it’s because the war might be over or because I’m–” She stopped abruptly, thinking ‘ _here. Or single. Both_.’

Sam could see Jack smile in the dim light from the kitchen window. 

“All of the above?”

A moment more of silence stretched between them. Then, still looking at the stars, she asked, “do you ever wonder, if things were different…?”

“Like ‘quantum mirror’ different?” Jack’s hands were in his pockets, and he was shuffling his feet on the worn planks. “Yeah, I’ve wondered about that. I just figured, one day, I’d be able to ask you for a cup of coffee, where I would share some thoughts I’ve had about locked rooms. And if you’d still…well, then we’d make a plan. Somethin’ like that anyway.”

“Do you think, with everything that’s happened, things could still be…different…here?”

Jack ran a hand over his face. “Sam...” She turned to look at him then, surprised by the sound of her name. “Things can be different. But a lot of stuff has happened quickly and… look, I meant it when I said you should take time to process everything. These past few days, you’ve seemed like _you_ again. I’ll still be here.” He nudged her shoulder with his. “Always.” 

Sam smiled briefly, she knew he was right about everything changing so fast – it was hard to believe so little time had passed since her father died, since the world had almost ended.

Jack glanced back towards the house, “I should hit the hay. It’ll probably be an early start, if I know Daniel, he’ll start demanding coffee around 5am.” But he made no move to leave, and when Sam looked over at him, she found him staring at her with a soft expression on his face. Many times in the past, if she caught him looking like that in her direction, she turned away to give them both a chance to recompose their features, maintain their plausible deniability – she knew he did as much for her. But this time, she kept looking, and he didn’t look away. If anything, she thought his gaze became more intense, and it caused her breath to catch in her throat. 

Caught in the moment, Sam knew that, no matter how much time she took, and how many other things changed around them, her feelings for him hadn’t changed. And after this team week was over, they were going to sit down and have that conversation, she was sure of it. The tension drew out between them, until Carter felt she had to say something to break it.

“Ja–”

She was interrupted by the distinctive sound of a glass smashing, and a man’s voice singing something loudly but unintelligibly. 

“What was _that_?”

Beside her, Jack leaned on the railing and groaned. “ _That_ would be Daniel singing ‘ _Gaudeamus Igitur’._ It’s an academic song, popular in European universities _.”_ Jack affected an accent she thought was supposed to resemble Daniel in his lecture mode. “I’ll leave you to guess how many times I’ve heard him sing that, by the fact I can pronounce it properly. I’d better get in there; he can get a little feisty once he breaks out the Latin.”

As Jack turned back to the house, the door opened and Teal’c stood on the threshold, silhouetted against the dim light of the living room lamp. 

“O’Neill, I require your assistance. Daniel Jackson has commenced singing in Latin. I requested that he lower his voice, however, he did not appreciate my critique. I regret that he has broken a glass.”

“He threw a glass at you?” Jack asked incredulously. 

“No. While gesturing with the glass, he lost his grip. He informed me that he was ‘quaffing’.”

 _“_ Did he cut himself?”

“He is not injured.” 

Teal’c turned back in to the house, disappearing towards the bedrooms. Jack looked back to Sam, still standing at the railing. “I should really…”

Sam nodded, but didn’t make a move to go inside herself, the night was pleasant and the fresh air was clearing her head of the whisky buzz. Suddenly it seemed important that this opportunity should not slip by again, and she spun quickly towards the door, “Jack!”

He paused, one hand holding the glass door open, eyebrows raised questioningly. 

“About coffee…when you ask, I’m going to say yes.”

Jack looked like he was about to say something more, but at that moment, Daniel’s voice rose again, warbling _“_ _Vivant professores!_ ” Jack rolled his eyes, huffing a laugh at Daniel’s drunken antics, and closed the door softly. When Sam went to bed a short time later, she heard Daniel snoring loudly from behind his bedroom door. 

* * *

In the morning, Sam emerged from her room to find Daniel sitting bleary-eyed at the kitchen counter, staring at a cup of coffee in front of him, unmoving. He didn’t look up when she came in, or when she said good morning. Sam waved a hand in front of his face, but there was no reaction. Teal’c was sitting on the couch, so Sam poured herself some coffee from the almost empty pot and headed over to join him. 

Cocking her head in Daniel’s direction, she asked, “How long has he been like that?”

“Good morning Colonel Carter. It has been approximately two hours.”

“Two _hours_? Did he drink the rest of the pot?”

“No.”

Sam sighed. “Oh good, because that much coffee isn’t good for–”

“That is the second pot.”

“Oh.” Sam looked in amazement at Daniel’s back as he lifted the cup and took another swallow. “And where is the General?”

Before Teal’c could answer, Jack came in from the deck, flashing a cheery smile and slapping Daniel on the shoulder, ignoring the younger man’s wince. He looked from the coffee pot to Daniel, before wordlessly beginning to scoop some more ground coffee in to the filter. 

“Good morning, campers! I’ve got the rods all ready for the final day of fishing at _casa de_ O’Neill.” 

Sam was surprised. “Final day, sir? I thought you weren’t coming back to work til Monday?”

Jack looked up from the coffee pot. “Daniel, you wanna explain to Carter why we’ll be spending Friday driving back to the Springs instead of relaxing by my pond?”

Daniel blinked slowly, then looked down in to his empty coffee cup as if wondering where all the liquid had gone. “Uh, there’s a, um…an exhibition opening at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, part of their series on Ancient Egypt. I suggested someone from the program should go and check it out before the grand opening, make sure there’s nothing…Goa’uldy.”

When Daniel didn’t add anything further, Jack spoke up. “It seems a bunch of this stuff has been in storage for decades, so we want a first look just in case.” Off Daniel’s look, he continued defensively, “Hey, who d’ya think had to authorize your proposal?”

“I assumed Walter paraphrased it for you.”

Jack pulled a mocking face. “So, to answer your question Carter, we’ll be on the road by 11 tomorrow. That ok with you?”

“Uh, well actually sir, I have a flight back on Saturday afternoon. I’m sorry, I should have checked. Maybe you could drop me in to Minneapolis on your way back, I can get a hotel for the night.”

“Aw, Sam that’s two hours in the wrong direction,” Daniel whined. “Why don’t you just drive back with us? That’s ok, isn’t it Jack?”

“Sure, it’s fine with me.” Jack rummaged in the fridge and produced some eggs and milk. “You’ve driven my truck before, haven’t you Carter?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“There you go then.” As she hesitated, he looked up and quirked that soft smile she had seen directed at her several times this week. “C’mon, it’ll be fun.”

Teal’c added his agreement. “Join us, Colonel Carter. It will make a fitting end to our trip.” 

Sam smiled at her team’s insistence. “Sounds great. Let me call the airline and cancel my flight.”

* * *

The next morning, Daniel started out in the driver’s seat, with Jack in the passenger seat and Sam and Teal’c in the back. That arrangement lasted until the first rest area when Teal’c requested that they stop for a few moments. While Jack disappeared to buy coffees and ‘road trip snacks’, Teal’c unfolded himself from the vehicle then simply climbed in to the front seat without any further discussion. Coming back from the gas station store, Jack hesitated for a moment by the drivers’ door, then shrugged lightly and got in to the back seat alongside Carter. 

“Sorry Carter, guess I’ve been evicted.” Jack shook the plastic bag and added in a lowered voice, “Joke’s on him though, I’ve got all the snacks. Trail mix?”

Sam smilingly shook her head in exasperation, but accepted a handful of candy and nuts. 

Daniel drove for about three hours, before they stopped for a late lunch at a diner that looked like it was stuck in a 50s time-warp but served up delicious all-day breakfast (Jack), hamburgers (Sam and Daniel) and sharing platter for two (Teal’c). Sam took the driver’s seat for the next leg. She half thought that Jack might join her in the front seat, but when he approached the door, Teal’c pointedly raised an eyebrow. 

Jack scoffed in disbelief. “You know this is _my_ truck, right?”

“Indeed, O’Neill. However, I require greater legroom than is afforded by the back seat of this vehicle.”

“Fine. But Danny can sit behind you, he’s shorter than I am.” 

Sam got into the driver’s seat and let the guys fight it out amongst themselves – she knew better than to get in the middle of a tussle between Daniel and the General. When everyone was situated, she pulled out of the parking lot and got back on the freeway. 

Four hours later, she was more than ready to hand over driving duties to Teal’c. The ride had reminded her forcefully of traveling to Disney with her niece and nephew – Jack had initiated a game of punch-buggy, which Daniel did not appreciate. Their argument escalated when Daniel called Jack childish; not helping his cause, Jack had lobbed one of his M&Ms at the archaeologist. Sam tried to tune out the rest of the argument, which only stopped when Teal’c turned around and impassively regarded the two men until they quietened down. Daniel returned to reading his academic paper and Jack pulled something out of his pocket and fiddled with it in silence. 

They stopped at a rest stop about an hour outside Lincoln to stretch their legs and swap drivers. Sam unfolded herself from the truck and walked around the parking lot, swinging her arms and cracking her back in relief. Jack and Daniel headed straight for the little strip mall in search of coffee and a bathroom. They had agreed to get drive-through once Teal’c had taken the wheel – he enjoyed speaking with anyone from outside the program, even bored fast-food workers. 

Having stretched out her aches and pains, Sam took the opportunity to go to the bathroom, then joined Jack and Daniel in the queue for coffee. 

“Oh, hey Sam. How’re you doing after that long drive huh? That was a long drive, very long in fact…you must be feeling pretty tired.”

Sam was bemused as she answered, “It was fine…I’m feeling fine, Daniel. Are _you_ ok?”

“Fine, fine! I was just saying to Jack that you’re probably tired from all that driving and might want a break. You know, a bit of peace and quiet.” Looking closer, Daniel’s encouraging smile was bordering on manic. 

“Quieter than Teal’c?” Sam suppressed a grin as she realized what Daniel was leading up to, but she didn’t have to make it easy on him. Daniel’s expression shifted as he glanced at Jack, then turned his back and lowered his voice. 

“Sam, please, you’ve gotta swap seats with him. He’s driving me nuts.”

Sam took pity on him. “Sure. You buy my coffee though. And make it a venti. Deal?”

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. “Deal.”

The three of them returned to the car, coffees in hand and a fruit cooler for Teal’c. Sam fell in to step with Jack, but before she could say anything, he spoke up.

“We can switch, Carter.” He smiled slightly at her surprised look. “Daniel’s not as subtle as he thinks he is – at least you got a cup of coffee out of it. Besides, my knees are seizing up back there.”

Sam was relived she didn’t have to think of an excuse to change the seating arrangements. “Thank you, sir.” She paused a moment. “It’s a beautiful drive, I had no idea Minnesota was so pretty.”

“It’s a nice drive, I guess; I’m usually in such a hurry to get to the cabin that I just put my head down and drive straight through. Might be nice though next time, we could take the scenic route, see some of the sights…don’tcha think?”

They reached the truck as Sam realized he had spoken as if it was a foregone conclusion that she would be coming up to the cabin again with him. As if he had imagined their driving up together in the future. It was a good feeling, she decided, hearing him casually confirm that he saw a future where she was a part of his plans, although she did not want to make things awkward by saying so right now. Thankfully, Jack didn’t seem to be expecting an answer, as he passed Teal’c’s drink through the driver’s window and headed around to the passenger side, sketching a wave at Carter as he went. 

As Sam climbed in to the back seat, Daniel looked over at her with a relieved expression. He mouthed a ‘thank you’ in her direction, which she waved off with a half-smile. 

Almost as soon as they hit the highway, Sam found herself presented with an opportunity to indulge her mischievous side…coming the other way was a blue VW. Dusk had settled, so Daniel had stopped reading, but he wasn’t paying attention to the road. 

She waited until the car was just ahead of them before casually reaching over and punching his arm lightly. 

“Blue punch-buggy Daniel. No punch back.”

Daniel let out a groan that turned in to a rueful laugh, and Sam grinned, catching Jack’s eye in the wing mirror and seeing a similar expression on his face. 

* * *

It was almost 3a.m. in Colorado Springs when Jack pulled up outside Carter’s house. Daniel had asked to be dropped off first so he could finish his preparations for his trip to Denver, and of course, Teal’c had left with him. Sam had almost fallen asleep during the short ride to her place, eyes open but glazed over as she leaned her head against the window. The truck came to a stop and Sam blinked slowly, coming back to full wakefulness. She started to gather her things together, searching around on the floor for her purse as Jack put the truck in to park and took his hands off the wheel. 

“So Carter, coffee?”

“God no, sir, that’s the _last_ thing I need right now.” Sam continued to scrabble through her purse, looking for her door keys, but looked up just in time to see the cocky smile slide off his face, leaving a horrible blankness that she recognized too well from the last few months. 

“Oh God. Si…Jack, I’m sorry. I didn’t–”

The professional mask was firmly in place as Jack shrugged a shoulder, as if he hadn’t just put himself out there and been shot down. “No worries Carter, another time.” He turned back, both hands on the wheel, suddenly impatient to leave. 

“I’m sorry, I thought you meant…Jack, it’s 3 o’clock in the morning, and we’ve been on the road for 15 hours. Of course the answer is yes, as long as the invitation is for tomorrow. Afternoon.”

The relief on his face was clear, even as he grumbled, “Give a guy a heart attack here. Has Cassie taken you to that coffee place with the great doughnuts?”

“Mm-hmm, near the Academy?”

“That’s the one. Sam…are you sure you want to do this? We can’t even get coffee together officially; it’s still breaking the regs and you know I’d never do anything to derail–”

“I’m sure. We owe it to ourselves to have this conversation, and I’m done waiting.”

Jack smiled lazily and Sam felt her heart beat a little faster at the sight. “Well, alright then. You wanna run in to me there tomorrow, say 1400?”

Sam slid out of the truck and retrieved her suitcase from the back, saying “Love to. See you tomorrow, sir.”

“Carter…”

Sam flashed a self-conscious smile as stood by the door of the vehicle. “See you tomorrow, Jack.”


End file.
